Sample Me
Generally speaking, when a song of mine is sampled (or licensed for advertising) I want to make sure it doesn’t taint the integrity of the copyright by incorporating (or associating it with) something vulgar or offensive. Other than that I’m pretty open to giving it the thumbs up. In fact a while back my co-writer’s publisher turned down a use for “What a Girl Wants” in a Tampon ad. Truth be told I wouldn’t have had a problem with that. After all, what more could a girl want than a tampon when she needs one? It’s only natural. 🙂
With that, about 6 months ago I got a request from my publisher: some cat named Cashmere wanted to clear a sample of “What a Girl Wants.” Prrrrrr. Excellent. Who is this cat?
It was suggested that if approved, my co-writer Guy Roche and I split creative credit on the new version 3 ways with the additional writer(s). Of course I asked to hear the new track, retitled “Watergirl” (not a typo) and that’s the last thing I remember. Fast forward to the end of August when Guy texted that “Watergirl” was about to drop.
What? How can that be? I never even heard it! I started getting all OMG and outraged.
Guy played it for me over the phone. The track was mostly a high-pitched loop of our original hook (What a girl wants, What a girl needs). It was all pretty harmless but still, someone on the 😼’s end got ahead of themselves cuz I had never signed off on the use. Meeee-ow!
Guy and I started doing what songwriters do when someone jumps the gun — negotiate in our favor. Maybe we should ask for 40/40/20? I mean it’s basically all our all hook! 45/45/10?
Alas my publisher chimed in that apparently I had signed off on the use and forwarded a copy of my email. That’s what I get for multi-tasking all day long. Stuff falls out of my brain.
Thirds it was.
Curious, Guy and I took to Google. Magnus August Høiberg (aka Cashmere Cat) is a Norwegian remixer, DJ and record producer whose prior album 9 featured Ariana Grande, The Wknd and Selena Gomez. Oh, and also? He won a GRAMMY in 2016 and he co-wrote and produced Shawn Mendes’ and Camila Cabello's summer hit "Señorita". Who knew? Guy and I quickly changed our tune. If we had known how hot he was we might have agreed to take less of a share of the song. (Songwriters, you know what I’m talking about.)
Cashmere Cat’s 2nd album Princess Catgirl dropped on Sept 20th with sadly no celebrity features although some name brands were involved in the production: Benny Blanco, (know him) and Sophie (no clue…but glad I discovered her! )
I popped in my AirPods and went for a run. I couldn’t for the life of me make out the lyrics on the newly written verse. My colleague Eve Nelson informed me there’s a name for this style of delivery. “What is it,” I asked? “Gibberish?”
Again, the Google…according to the urban dictionary it’s called mumble rap. I kid you not. It’s a form of music that…is often incomprehensible and illogical. Just to be sure my ears weren’t failing me I searched Genius Lyrics and there were indeed lyrics:
Ah, oh, I
You know I'd do it, whatever it takes, ah
Know I'd do it, whatever mistakes, yeah
Know I'd do it, impossible things
For you, for you, ah-ah, ah, ah, ah
For you, for you, ah-ah, ah, ah, ah
For you, for you, ah-ah, ah, ah, ah
For you, for you, ah-ah
Impossible things, yeah
Ok, so it’s not Leonard Cohen but on the whole “Watergirl” is playful, lighthearted, vibey. And with the DJ’s momentum just maybe my third of the royalty pie would cover 2 tickets to that first class safari I’ve been eyeing. Enthusiasm ensued further when the track appeared on Spotify’s new Music Friday and was a “notable release” on NPR. The safari was looking more and more first class by the minute.
But a few days later Google Alerts (wtf did we ever do before Google?) forwarded some less than stellar reviews. The trumpeting of elephants fading in the distance.
Listen...I’m still not sure of the ultimate fate of “Watergirl.” It’s relatively early. Praise comes in one day and criticism the next. One can assume however, it’s not going to be the life changing “re-purposable” annuity that “Right Round” was for Dr. Luke.
But that’s ok. Chalk it up to another adventure in the life of a songwriter living to laugh and tell. Most of us get into this business because of the cathartic experience of writing a song. If we can make some $$ from our songs all the better. Ideally we find a balance between flourishing creatively and sustaining a livelihood.
I can’t deny that sometimes Heinz ketchup comes to mind when I hear “Anticipation.” That said the song was a poignant enough testament to the loveliness of the time spent in the moments we await something or someone we desire. I will always cherish it in its original form.
So thank you Cashmere (can I call you Cashmere?) and all other contributors on “Watergirl” for keeping the song alive and to Guy Roche for stumbling on the hook with me 20 years ago when I had a belly full of baby and we were writing songs we could only hope would be sampled 20 years later.
That’s Watergirl wants.
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